Our Goal

The Peggy and Jack Baskin Foundation believes that teaching media literacy to children will help them understand and challenge the objectification of women and gender-expansive individuals and the limiting gender stereotypes that are present in the media. In addition to harmful stereotypes, lack of representation in mainstream media also contributes to the oppression of women and gender-expansive people of color. According to the Representation Project:

“Studies prove exposure to sexually explicit video games and music videos is linked to men’s acceptance of rape myths and sexual harassment.”

The Foundation believes in educating people about the underrepresentation of women and gender-expansive individuals of all races, ethnicities, body sizes, and sexual orientations in the media. Until these negative stereotypes are no longer present in the media, the Foundation believes that it is essential to support organizations dedicated to exposing the harmful messages in the media, starting active dialogues, increasing awareness, and encouraging activism about women’s and gender-expansive people’s representation.

We envision supporting nonprofit organizations or nonprofit schools that run programs that provide training resources, or tools that focus on reducing the objectification of women and gender-expansive people, and the perpetuation of gender stereotypes in the media. We look for organizations working to change the negative representations of women and gender-expansive individuals in the media that contribute to inequities and gender-based violence. Funds may be applied to model, promising, or start-up programs.

What We Look For

The Peggy and Jack Baskin Foundation would like to support programs, organizations, and initiatives that incorporate the following components through existing (or proposed) guidelines:

  • Programs must have direct and explicit goal of reducing objectification of women and gender-expansive people and the perpetuation of gender stereotypes in the media
  • Programs must address the needs of communities that are marginalized by society, such as low-income women and women and gender-expansive people of color
  • We look for organizations and programs that have a track record of delivering effective programming to participants
  • There is a preference for applicant organizations in which women and gender-expansive individuals of color are the primary decision makers
  • There is a preference for applicant organizations that integrate gender equity into their personnel policies, such as robust parental leave, child care, flexible work schedules, and relationship abuse workplace policies.

Please note: The Peggy and Jack Baskin Foundation is not afraid of the word feminism! We encourage you to openly discuss your intersectional feminist programming, goals, or approach.

To Apply

APPLY FOR A GRANT

Unsolicited proposals will not be accepted.